When Chicago Police Officer Jim Buckley found a wallet whose owner lived two hours away, he did something that many would not.
Officer Jim Buckley went above and beyond what’s in his ‘job description’ for a complete stranger.
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After finding a lost wallet, the Chicago police officer simply could have taken it to the police station. They probably would have called the owner to arrange for him to come and get it. Or perhaps they would have made arrangements to mail it to him.
But on one Friday night, Jim found something on the sidewalk. And he couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed to take care of it himself.
What did he find? Jim happened upon a wallet that night, yet for some reason this wallet in particular touched him.
“I opened it up, saw a couple of kids’ pictures in the bifold, a lot of credit cards, some money, and a driver's license,” Jim shared.
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He was so moved, Jim wanted to spring into action and return the wallet. He didn’t do the ordinary thing though, like returning the wallet via mail. No. He took the more time-consuming, but far more thoughtful approach. The Chicago police officer set out on a four-hour round trip to return the item in person.
“I’m like 'Oh, he’s in Plymouth, Indiana. About a two-hour drive.' I figure I’ll grab it, and I’ll just drive over to his house, and hopefully he’s there.”
Not everyone returns items that someone else lost, especially when they will be inconvenienced. Clearly, Jim didn't feel inconvenienced. That or he didn’t care because returning the item was more important.
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Turns out the wallet owner, John Barron, was not home -- not initially. There were some others there to greet the officer though. Other family members including John’s daughter greeted the man. John himself arrived mere minutes later.
Jim was welcomed warmly by the family, and they were even more grateful upon learning of the Chicago police officer’s two-hour trip.
“His daughter was crying. I almost got teary-eyed. I hope someone would do it for me.”
John, the wallet's owner, had thoughts of his own. He said, “I just kept saying you really drove this over here?"
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"I kind of teared up. I’m an emotional guy anyway. In the world we live in today, you don’t hear about people doing these things.”
John was touched by the Chicago police officer’s act of kindness. The veteran football coach and teacher said, “I’ll never forget this guy.”
"I may never talk to him again, but I’ll never forget it.”
The Barron family wanted to pay for Jim’s gas, but he declined.
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One question still remains though, how did the Indiana resident’s license wind up in Chicago? Surprisingly, John had been in the area on Friday to pick up his grandson who lives with John’s daughter near the Chicago Police Academy. Small world.
h/t: NBC Chicago
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Meredith Ann
Get in touch with him at aarondanthony.com and check out his debut short story anthology Honey Dreams on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.